Michigan State University

College of Human Medicine, Secchia Center for Medical Education

Grand Rapids, Michigan

Size
170,000 gsf

Services
Programming
Lab Planning
Architecture

Roles
Ellenzweig
Design Architect and Laboratory Planner

URS
Architect of Record

Certifications
LEED Gold

The Secchia Center serves as medical education building and administrative headquarters for the MSU College of Human Medicine. Constructed atop an existing parking garage, the seven-story building is located at the western end of the “medical mile,” a flourishing area of healthcare and biomedical research facilities in downtown Grand Rapids.

The building’s exterior expression unifies the five-story parking garage with the new structure. The curved roof canopy distinguishes the building on its highly visible site overlooking the city and the Grand River.

The building provides all the program components for medical education: flexible classrooms, virtual microscopy lab, anatomy lab for prosected cadavers, prosection lab, plastination lab for small organs and parts, flexible general and specialized simulation rooms, standardized patient-based clinical skills suite equipped with recording and playback audio-visual technology, collaborative and quiet study spaces, student lounge and locker area, and a full complement of administrative offices. The variety of teaching venues also includes problem-based learning seminar rooms, large and medium-sized case method and traditional tiered lecture halls equipped for synchronous (distance) learning.

At the center of the building, a four-story atrium functions as a gathering space for students and also doubles as break-out space for the two large lecture halls on the first level.

As stated by President Lou Anna K. Simon, the mission for the Secchia Center is to “bring to life a one-of-a-kind model for medical education and research in the 21st century. This new approach blends key elements of a classical medical education center with MSU’s traditional strength in community-based medical education.”

Never losing sight of the larger project goals, the Ellenzweig team led by Michael Lauber masterfully managed difficult dialogues. They inspired our confidence by turning our vision into reality, and somehow they managed to make hard work a pleasurable experience.

– Marsha Rappley, MD

Former Dean Michigan State University College of Human Medicine